Door closer



May 1,1928. 1,668,341

' D. SHAW ET ALr DOOR CLOSER Filed sept. 17, 1927- lll/l,

. ym-EM: N 1111111.11515 m N m 1 N Je A TTORNEYS.

Patented May l, 1928.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? vao una .amnzarcAN e. conformaron on CONNECTICUT.

1 :Duncan straw .aunwALLacn n. Moons, cnivnw Balmain, conuncfrrcu'r, fassieuons HARDWARE conroaafrrcn, on New nnrraiu,coivunc'r1cur Doon cnosult.y

application inea september 17,1927.' serial No. 320,129.

Our invention relates to door closers, and.

has special reference to suchdevices that are particularly adapted for use on satetyvdoors wherebywhen thetemperature of a room in which the device V1s installed reachesa predetermined degree, fthe door will be closed automatically. e

An object of the invention is to provide of this character which is and reliable in operaa door closer simple in construction tion,

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in `which the parts thereof are conveniently arranged, and maybe easily reset and adjusted.

The several features of the invention, whereby the above-mentioned and other objects may be attained, will be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of. a door closer embodying the feav tures of the invention in their preferred form, shown applied to a door and door frame., the door being shown open;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the door closer;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of afccmponent part of the door closer;

Fig. i is a detail inverted plan view o the spring actuated arm of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a vieweorrespondi'ng to va por tion Aot Fig. 1, but showing certain'parts in a different position. z y r The door closer illustratedin the drawings is shown applied to a door case or frame 2 and a door e, the door being shown open. Ther door closer comprises the usual casing 6 which is secured to the door, and a spring actuated door closing arm 8 which'is con# nected by a link'lOwi'h the 'door trame. The spring actuated arm 8 ycarries a double detent or pawl 12 for engagement with `the teeth on a ratchet 4wheel 1e connected to the doorpclosing spring in lthe usual manner. A ring y16 is adjustably secured tothe upper end of the casing 6 and carries a stop having a pocket 20. This "poclet 20 is adapted to receive a downwardly spring pressed detent n ated arm 8, and when the detent is received in said pocket under the pressurer off its spring it is adapted tcliold the door open.

22 carried by thespringactu` As shown, this detent comprises a steel ball which is received in the lower end of a vertical aperture 23'in the spring actuated army 8 and is pressed downwardly when theball is in said poclret by means ot a plunger 24 mounted in said aperture, which in; turn is acted upon by a coil spring 26 interposed between the upper' end of theplunger and an abutment screw"y plugv 28. The downwardly spring ypressed plunger2i is provided with ja flange that engages a stop shoulder 30 in said vertical aperture so as to 'limit the downward movement plunger so that when the ball 22 rides out `of the of its pocket and as it leaves they stop plate described, including the described and claimedlin the pending appl1- cationfoi Wallace F. Moore, Door closers, Serial No.' 199,514, tiled J une 17, 1927. y

ln accordance with our invention, thermal'- ly controlled means is provided for' relieving the tension of the detent springy 26 yso as to rendersaid spring and its associatedl detent plunger 2a inoperative .to hold the detent` ball 22 in its 'stop `pocket and thus permit the springactuatedarm 8 to close the door, when the' temperature `in tlie'room reaches predetermined degree. To provide ier this, the abutment plug 28 is screwthreaded into the upper endet a sleeve 32 which surrounds the coil spring26 and is mounted for vertical movement in the aperture 23. The sleeve 32 with its plug 28 oonstitutes an abutment memberior the upper end ot spring 26. The upward Amovement ot` the sleeve 32 isjlimited vby the engavement oione end' wall of a slot 34 in t ek door.

tained under tension so as to hold the detent ball 22 firmly seated in the pocket in the stop plate 18. Upon releasing the sleeve 32 so as to permit it to move to the limit ovits upward movement, the tension of the spring 26 is relieved, whereupon the spring actuated arm 8 is free to close the door.

The sleeve 32 is held down so as to tension the spring 26 by means of a rod 38, one end of which is rounded over and is received in a correspondingly shaped recess or pocket 40 in the sleeve. The rod 38 is pressed outwardly so as to tend to disengage its end from the sleeve 32 by means of a spring 42 coiled about the rod and interposed between a washer on the rod and the boss through which the aperture 23 extends. The outer end of the rod 38 is pivotally connected with the upper end of a vertical lever 44 which extends through a slot in the spring actuated arm and is centrally pivoted on a pin 46 secured in the arm. The lower end of the lever 44 is connected by link or rod 48 with one member of a two part fuse 50 the other member of which is secured by a screw 52 to the under side of the spring actuated arm 8. The rod 48 is supported and guided by means of an ear 54 on the under side of the arm 8 through which it ext-ends, and is made in two sections that are connected by a turn-buckle 56 to permit its length to be varied. The `fuse 50 is of a standard type in which the two parts thereoiY are joined by suitable fusible material.

With this construction it will be apparent that upon the fuse breaking when the temperature of the room reaches a predetermined degree, the coil spring 42 will immediately act to shift the holding rod 38 out of engagement with the abutment sleeve 32 and thus permit said sleeve to move upwardly so `as to relieve the tension of the spring 26, and thus permit the spring actuated arm 8 to act immediately to close the i The rounded end of the rod 38 and the Wall of the correspondingly shaped recess 40 in which it is received, cooperate to shift the rod 38 out of engagement with the sleeve under the tension of the spring 26, and thus this spring assists the spring 42 to insure immediate disengagement of the holding rod 38 and release of the holding detent 22 when the fuse breaks. The stop screw 36, by limiting the upward movement of the sleeve 32, prevents dislodgment or the sleeve and associated parts from the spring actuated arm.

The location of the fuse 50 on the under side of the spring actuated arm 8 insures that the fusible link will be exposed to the surrounding atmosphere at a point near to the connecting door-way between two rooms when the door is open. The arrangement of the parts of the device on the spring actuated arm presents no unsightly appearance,

and the arm protects the parts from being accidentally struck. It will be apparent that the device will operate to pull the fusible link apart whether the door is open or closed so that there is no danger of the links becoming fused together again after the fuse is once broken. f

To reset the device after a fuse has been thus broken merely necessitates the replace- .ment of the fuse and the compression of the sleeve 32 so as to permit the end of the rod 38110 be received in the holding recess in the sleeve. The turn-buckle 56 permits the device to be adjusted tokvaccommodate any variations in the length of the fuses.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, our yinvention permits various moditications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims;

lVhat we claim is:

l. A hold-back device for door closers provided with a spring actuated door closing arm having, in combination, a stop membei', a-cooperating detent carried by said arm and adapted to engage said stop member when the door is open, a coil spring for maintaining said detent in holding engagement with said stop member to hold the door open when said spring is underv tension, and an abutment member' for maintaining said spring under tension comprising a sleeve surrounding saidspring and movable in one direction `to relieve the tension of said spring to permit said spring actuated arm. to close the door, and thermally controlled means for holding said sleeve from movement in said direction.

2. A hol'deback device for door closers provided witha spring actuated door closing armv having, in combination, a stop member, acooperating dctent carried by said arm and adapted to engage said stop member when the door is open, a coil spring for maintaining said detent in holding engagement with said stop member to hold the door open when said spring `isunder tension but permitting said spring actuated arm to close the door when -the tension 0f the spring is relieved, an abutmentv member engaging vthe outer end of said coil spring and mounted for outward movement 'to relievev the tension of said spring,l a rod having one end arranged in holding engagement withsaid abutment member to maintain saidspring under tension, and thermally controlled means for holdingy said rod in holding engagement` with said abutment member, said rod and said abutment member having cooperating engaging surfaces tending to shift said rod out of holding engagement with said abutment memberunder the tension of. said detent springwhen said thermally controlled 'means releases said rod.

3. A hold-back device for door closers Ulf) provided with a spring actuated door closing arm having, in combination, a stop member, a cooperating detent carried by said arm and adapted to engagesaid stop ber engaging 'the outer end of said spring and mounted for outward movement lto release the tension oi said spring, a rod hav ing one end arranged in holding engage*y With said abutment member to maintain said spring under tension, a second spring tending to disengage said rod from said abutment member, and thermally controlled means for maintaining said rod in holding engagement with said abutment member.

Il. A hold-back device for door closers provided with a spring actuated door closing arm having, in combination, a stop member, a. coopeating detent carried by said arm and adapted to engage said stop memberk when the door is open, a spring for maintaining said detent in holding engagement with said stop memberto hold 'the door open when said spring is under tension, an abutmentinember for maintaining said spring under tension and adapted to move outwardly to relieve the tension of said spring, and means for preventing said movement oi said abutment member comprising a rod having one end arranged in holding engagement VWith said abutment member, a spring tending to shift said rod out of holding engagement with said abutment member, and thermally controlled ment means Jfor holding said rod from said shifting movement under the tension of said' ing arm having, in combination, a stop' n'iember, a cooperating detent carried by said arm and member when the door is open, a coil spring for maintaining said detent in holding engagement with said stop member to hold the door open When said spring is under -tension, a sleeve surrounding said coil spring and mountedfor limited axial movement in a direction away from said detent, a plug screvvfthreaded into the outer `end of said sleeve and serving as an adjustable abutment for the outer end of said spring, means for holding said sleeve from outward movement to maintain said spring under tension comprising a rod mounted for longitudinal movement substantially transverse to the axis of said sleeve, said sleeve being provided with a recess for receiving one end oi said rod, a spring coiled aboutv said rod and tending to move the rod in a direction to disengage its said end from said sleeve, and means for maintaining said arm against the tension of its spring in holding engagement with said sleeve comprising a lever pivotally` mounted on said arm, pivotal connection between one arm of said lever andy the outer end of said rod, a fusible member having one end connected with said spring actu ated arim'and a link connecting the other end of said fusible member with the other arm of said lever. l

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this vrspeciiication this 14th day of September, 1927..

DUNCANy SHAW. WALLACE F. MOORE.

adapted to engage said stop. 

